Anthony talks libraries (video)
At the American Library Association Annual Conference a few weeks ago in Chicago I sat down with Jennifer "Bill" Billingsley from the Glenwood-Lynwood Public Library to talk about Kill Shakespeare, my thoughts on libraries, our stage show, growing up at libraries in northern Canada, and a range of other things.The video was shot on her iPad so the video is in a different perspective (and the audio isn't great) but you get the gist of what we're talking about...
Librarians, here we come!
One of the more unique - and enjoyable - conferences I attended last year was the American Library Association Annual Conference (held in Anaheim last June). It's a huge smorgasbord of some of the most influential readers and people in the publishing industry - the librarians!I'm excited to attend this year's Annual Conference again, which will be held this weekend in Chicago (at the McCormick Place convention Centre, where we've attended C2E2 the last two years). I will be representing Kill Shakespeare at the event, which will be open this Friday (the 28th) and go until Monday (July 1st).
For those attending the show, I will be in the Artist Alley section of the show, at Booth 2461. Make sure to swing by and say hello and I'll probably be able to give you a sneak peak at the final issue of The Tide of Blood (but if I show you I may need to kill you afterwards...).
One of the other things that will be happening is a silent auction through the weekend. Andy Belanger has donated an original page of art from our original series, which is up for auction. Details about the silent auction can be found here. (Updated - June 25 - the page on the site was ruined in transit so we will be bringing another page for the auction instead.)
Here's a video interview I did at last year's show, talking about my experiences at libraries growing up:
Anthony Interviewed at ALA
Here is an interview that I did with the fun Kat Kan for the American Library Association while in Anaheim this past weekend... I talk about Kill Shakespeare, the genesis of the project, and thoughts on libraries (and having KS in libraries)...(I hope that sound of the baby crying/laughing in the background isn't too distracting for you...)
Anthony at ALA 2012
I arrived yesterday in Los Angeles after a five-hour delay. I boarded my first plane but before it could take off the pilot discovered a small malfunction and we had to switch to another plane. The same thing happened with the second plane. It wasn't until the third one that we were finally able to get into the air...
I've got one day here in LA and then head to Anaheim tomorrow to attend the American Library Association Annual Conference 2012! It's the annual conference that features about 20,000 of the top librarians from the continent and I will be there to sell and promote Kill Shakespeare. I'll be at Table 577 if you're at the show - come by and say hello!As well, I will be presenting a presentation "How a Team of Canadians are Trying to Kill Shakespeare" on Saturday from 2pm - 3pm on the Graphic Novel Stage and then "Twists on the Tale: Reinventing Classics in Comics" on Saturday from 4:30 - 5:00 with fellow panelists Nathan Hale (Rapunzel's Revenge) and Christina Strain (The Fox Sister), moderated by the amazing Robin Brenner.If you're attending the ALA (#ALA12) please swing by my table - I'd love to meet you and tell you about the exciting things that are happening in the Kill Shakespeare world!
Anthony Talks About Libraries!
In two weeks I will be attending the American Library Association Annual Conference in Anaheim and am really looking forward to it. It will my first time there and, in addition to having a table all weekend to talk about Kill Shakespeare I will also be giving a presentation about Kill Shakespeare and how we created our project.In anticipation of this, I did an interview with the ALA's Megan McFarlane at C2E2 in Chicago in April to talk about my earliest library experiences...
The Berenstain Bears and Librarians
The co-creator of The Berenstain Bears, Jan Berenstain, passed away late last week. It's been years since I have read - or even thought of - those collections of books but seeing her obituary brought back a flood of memories, not only of the books but an influential librarian in my life.
Growing up in small town northern Ontario, my mother always brought my sister Anna and I to the local library (I believe it was called the Whitney Public Library) to take out books. Located right next door to the fire department (where my dad volunteered for a while), it was a sea of information and entertainment and we would spend hours there, perusing the shelves for the books. The librarian, a fantastic older woman by the name of Mrs. Kullas (who had worked at the library for a great number of years), took a shine to my sister and I and, knowing that we loved reading The Berenstain Bears books, would always put aside the latest ones just for us upon their arrival. We would be so excited to get those new books and crack them open when we got home later that day.We've been working with librarians now for the last two years on Kill Shakespeare but it wasn't until this very moment that I realized how important Mrs. Kullas was in my life, helping to foster an appreciation for books - and reading in general - in me. It was just a small gesture, but her putting aside those Berenstain Bears books was a highlight for me that always had me excited to go to the library as a child. Mrs. Kullas passed away when I was in my pre-teens and the library closed down shortly thereafter but my love of the written word has stayed with me to this day. And for that I owe a big thanks to the influential librarian in my life, Mrs. Kullas.
Appearance at Toronto's Word on the Street Festival
Conor, Andy and I will be taking part in this year's THE WORD ON THE STREET festival in Toronto this Sunday. An annual festival held through five major Canadian cities, it is a day that celebrates literature and includes author readings, workshops, signings and retailers. I've attended a number of years and quite enjoy it.We will be conducting a one-hour seminar called HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN COMIC, which will be held from 2:30 - 3:30pm in the This is Not the Shakespeare Stage. Yes, that's the name of the stage. It's a stage for teen-oriented events and activities. The description reads:Kill Shakespeare co-creators Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, as well as series artist Andy Belanger, demonstrate how a comic is put together from the earliest stages of writing (the beat sheet) through the art process (penciling, inking, colouring) to the final production elements (lettering).The three entrepreneurs will also give tips on how to launch your own entertainment project. Come out and check us - and the Word on the Street Festival - out this weekend!
CBC's The National Profile on YouTube
For those that missed our profile last month, the CBC has released our footage on YouTube and it's imbedded here...
A story in three panels!
This past Tuesday Conor and I were fortunate to be able to visit the Pickering Public Library to discuss Kill Shakespeare, the Bard and the comics-making process. We've done a few of these presentations now and we're really enjoying them.
One thing we do every time is a breakout session in which the audience (normally between the ages of 12-19) have a chance to create their own three-panel comic. We started this part of the seminar, with the help of Andy Belanger, a few months ago and it goes over really well.This time we created a contest for the best/most creative comic and built it on the theme of "My Trip to the Library". The comics created this past Tuesday were all really strong, some involved Unobtainium, asteroids, syphilis, and sleep. The winner of this night's contest was James Hennebury, who created a simple three-strip comic - he built it up as a Bourne Identity-esque thriller, danger outside, and then a simple walk across the street to the library. Very effective storytelling with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Congrats James, and thanks to everyone that came out in Pickering. And thanks to Liz for organizing the event!
2010 Summer Reading List
Earlier today the site Good Comics for Kids released a 2010 Summer Reading List. And on it, in the Teen category, is Kill Shakespeare! I guess that Kate Dacey (who reviewed our first two issues last month) enjoyed it enough to recommend it for inclusion on a list that includes the final Scott Pilgrim book and the Zuda Comics collection Bayou. Congrats to our team for this honour, and thanks to Good Comics for Kids!The great quote from the blurb (which can be accessed by clicking on the image) is this: "Dynamic art, break-neck pacing, and clever use of the Bard’s own words make this series fun and educational."
